Plastilina Mosh

This could be a story like any other happening club band story except for a couple of things. The band is based in Monterrey, Mexico, a place not known as a breeding ground for innovative music. And in Latin America and Spain, Plastilina Mosh is not exactly a club band. They play for audiences of 15,000 – 20,000 and their videos may be the biggest thing on MTV Latin.

“We are starting over in America,” said Jonas. “We get to do the exciting part again.” He was not being factious, either. The duo has good-naturedly traded in their big production and arena-sized box office returns for a modest tour of North America.

“In Mexico, we have a big set-up and we like the bigger production,” Rosso said. “But right now, we’re traveling in a van and it just won’t fit. We’ll do it later. The important thing right now is for people to get an idea of what we do. We’re really happy we are getting a chance to do that. The situation here is very different for us. We are having fun, but at the same time, it’s critical that people here develop some interest in our music.”

With an album that gets them compared to Beck and a show that obliterates language barriers, mainstream recognition may not be far off. Already, Plastilina Mosh attracts North American fans from the rock en Español and alternative crowds. To Rosso and Jonas, it just seems odd that these are viewed as two separate genres. It is fair to call the band rock en Español; after all, this is rock music and the lyrics are mostly Spanish, but the two bandmates aren’t used to that distinction.

“They didn’t know what rock en Español was until they came to the States,” said Plastilina Mosh’s U.S. manager, David Lumien of Twist Management. “The term isn’t particularly relevant in Latin America. And they don’t necessarily sound like other bands we may think of as rock en Español. They love those bands but their influences are different — more global; they’re coming from a different place, musically.”

Rosso understands why his band comes under the imported genre name but he sees the music a bit differently. “Many people feel that we are rock en Español and I guess, in some ways, we are. But that’s a pretty narrow way of putting it. We have never thought of ourselves in that way. We see ourselves as just a band. Maybe people, especially in radio, will listen to us because rock en Español is popular right now, but we do not really fit in with those bands.”

It is Plastilina Mosh’s ability to transcend borders and defy expectations that attracted Lumien to the band. He saw that the demographics were in place for a Latin American act to break into the mainstream north of the border. “I had been looking for an act like this for some time and was very pleased when we got the opportunity to work with Plastilina,” he said. “I thought the music was incredibly cool in and of itself. At the same time, I was specifically looking for a group from Latin America. We were looking for people who were making world-class music and also had an attitude where they wanted world domination at the same time.”

The Plastilina twosome may, in fact, take over the world. They’re certainly putting forth a good effort. Jonas and Rosso have spent time winning fans in Central America and Spain and are gearing up for a South American tour. Then it’s back to the States where the single “Monster Truck” off their Capitol Records debut, Aquamosh,will be released in mid-October. Not coincidentally, their major market club tour opening for DJ Spooky starts October 5th in New York City and will run through late November.

“The combination of radio and touring is what we’re looking for,” Rosso said . “Now that things are starting to happen for us in different parts of the world, we are paying more attention to radio and we try to set up shows that are really important because we can’t play everywhere all the time.”

Right now, the band is focused intently on the U.S. and Canada. In Latin America, Plastilina Mosh not only draws big audiences, they have corporate sponsorship and marketing support from hip companies like Apple computers and Diesel clothing. They wouldn’t mind seeing all those components come together for them again up north.

“We want to come back and continue to have more exposure here,” Jonas said. “We are open to new experiences. In Mexico, if you continue playing the same music, you might get really big. The trouble is the bands get really successful on the first album and then they don’t want to do anything different. We want to surprise ourselves. We want to stay busy with it.”